Gifts for Nobodies
by Naylaena
Summary: Santa may be the Man of the Season, but he isn't the Reason for the Season. Sora must find this reason, especially since Kairi and he have been distant lately. It might be time to let their whole selves enjoy Christmas and love. SoKai / Namixas. Lemons.
1. Mistletoe

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or worlds herein; they are property of Square Enix, Tim Burton, and Disney. The only rights to which I have are the creative contexts, writing, and original plots created in this fiction._

_**Genre:** Romance, Friendship, General_

_**Rating:** Mature, for Romance and Lemons_

**One**

Everyone was working at two hundred percent. The air was filled with shouts and clangs and machines and orders. Although the air was frigid, everyone sweat as they flitted around frantically. Their deadline was approaching with astonishing speed. Stress was paramount, but they had never failed before.

Sora was worried that, in the wake of all the chaos of Christmas coming, Santa wouldn't be able to see him. Jack reassured him time and time again that he could get him in to see Sandy Claws. And so Sora followed his skeletal friend through the door to Christmas Town where the elves were in hyperdrive. It was December 12th and Sora's days were numbered. If he were to find the perfect gift for Kairi, he needed to do it within the next eight days before he returned home to Destiny Islands. Evidently Jack could see through his dark eyes and fake fanged smile.

"What's wrong, Sora?" He asked, looking down at his bat-winged friend.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, Jack. I'm fine."

"Hmm." Jack said, tapping his bony jaw and quirking an eyesocket at his friend.

"What?"

"I think someone's lost his Christmas spirit."

"Me? No. I'm full of Christmas cheer." Sora said, and stretched a forty inch grin across his face. Jack smirked.

"If you brought that smile to next Halloween, it'd be the best ever." At that, Sora's face melted and he stuck his tongue out defiantly at the Pumpkin King. The two then set out to Santa's Workshop where they would undoubtedly find their friend this time of year. The snow crunched loudly beneath Sora's boots, while the surface was barely disturbed by Jack's spindly legs. A few working elves paused to wave congenially to the regular visitors. Jack and Sora would wave back with similar joy.

Sora's mouth was salivating when he smelled the pies from Mrs. Claus's bakery. However, his need to see the Big Man kept him moving in the wake of Jack's quick footsteps. Finally they walked into the workshop. A rush of warm air greeted them, melting the ice from their flesh and bones. Elves moved around and between their legs to go about their busy schedules. Sora and Jack walked tentatively across the workshop floor, trying to avoid disturbing any of the workers. Sora accidentally backed up into a column of presents.

"Agh!" He cried, shielding his face. Jack quickly stepped over and stretched out his arms, catching the presents one by one until three stacks were balanced on his two arms and one knee. The surrounding elves let out a sigh of relief before thanking Jack. Sora groaned, berading himself for being so clumsy.

"Oh, no." Santa heard the commotion, and inwardly winced. He didn't hate Jack, but the Pumpkin King usually only led to mischief and complication. He pattered across the workshop floor to greet his scary friends.

"Sandy!" Jack exclaimed, handing the last present to one of the elves.

"Jack, what are you doing here? You know I'm busy! Christmas Eve is only twelve days away!"

"It's because of me, Santa. I asked Jack to take me here." Sora said before Jack could explain himself. Santa stroked his white beard, examining the two before him. Imbetween his thoughts, he was interrupted by his Head Elf who needed opinions on what gift to give Henry Smith, whether Donnor should be attached to the sleigh with his sprained ankle, and to report what pies Mrs. Claus was planning on serving that night.

"Busy, busy, busy." Santa sighed. He then looked up and gave a velvet smile to Sora. "Come on, Sora, Jack – we can go to my house. The Mrs. will have my head if I don't take a break soon anyways." With that, Jack and Sora followed Santa through the labyrinth of the workshop and reigndeer stables until they reached his cozy home. The fireplace inside was lively, stockings hung and holly draped over the mantle. Chestnuts were roasting, lights were glowing, nutcrackers were standing handsome, and wreaths were on every door. Jack couldn't help but grin across his whole skull at the Christmas decorations and knick-knacks. He picked up one of the more detailed nutcrackers, examining the finishing on the wooden soldier. He curiously began to click its jaw closed and open with infantile fascination.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Santa asked, groaning as he sat in his favorite chair (whose cushion was now contoured to the shape of his rear).

"Umm, nothing. I just, well-"

"Let's not lie to Santa Clause, now, Sora." He said. Sora sighed. They heard a small clang and turned. Jack was crouching near the floor, tree topper Star in hand. He grinned sheepishly and laughed nervously before standing to his intimidating height and placing the Star back in its proper place. Sora and Santa both shook their heads.

"Well, it's just...I don't really know what...I kind of...Kairi..."

"Oh. Kairi." Jack and Santa spoke at the same time. Jack was now absorbed in the conversation. He and Sora sat down on the couch, though Jack had to awkwardly spread his legs out to fit in the short house. Sora sighed, ruffling his spiked chocolate hair. The pumpkin patch over his eye shifted and nearly snapped off when he accidentally hit the string attached to it.

"I don't know what to get her for Christmas. We've been friends forever, and we've been dating for a few years now, but...I just...I don't know what to get her." Sora said.

"But that isn't the only problem, is it, Sora?" Santa asked, pushing on. Sora looked up to Saint Nick with sincere hope.

"She...she's said that she feels like she's half-empty. Like a part of her isn't loved or happy...I want to do something to make her feel whole..." Sora said. Jack looked gently at his friend, sympathy boiling in his heart. He patted Sora's shoulder with his bony fingers before looking to Santa for help.

"Have you felt like this as well, Sora?" Santa asked.

"...maybe a little...but it isn't like I don't love Kairi! I still do – with all my heart. But..."

"Maybe it's time you let her love the _whole_ you."

"Huh?" Sora asked. Santa stood from his chair and walked over to the couch. He touched the crown of Sora's head. As his fingertip grazed his head, a small light sparked. Sora gasped; he felt as though his blood had been shocked by compassion. His heart was flushed with Christmas spirit. But, there was something else...something that had been locked in the back of his mind that was louder now; stronger now.

"Sora, this isn't really about finding the perfect present. It's about giving who you love the most the gift of yourself. Christmas is more than just wrapping and decorations and me – that's something Jack learned the hard way." He added, glancing at the sheepish but agreeing Pumpkin King. Fishing inside his red coat, Santa retrieved a ripe sprig of mistletoe. As he twirled it in his nimble old fingers, the berries changed shape and texture. When he handed the mistletoe to Sora, the berries looked like tiny Paupu fruits.

"When you want to truly give the gift of yourself, your whole self, hang this mistletoe before you go to sleep." Santa said. Sora looked into the glossy berries and vibrant leaves. He nodded before leaping up and hugging the old man.

"Thanks so much Santa!" He beamed. Santa laughed heartily with a gentle, "Ho, ho, ho."

"Hey, Sandy Claws, do you need any h-"

"No, Jack!" Santa said quickly, breaking from the hug with Sora. "I'm just fine!" He said, before rushing back to his workshop. Sora glanced between the door Santa disappeared to and Jack.

"What exactly happened between you two?" He asked.

Jack opened the front door to walk back to Halloweentown. "It's a long story."


	2. Snow

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or worlds herein; they are property of Square Enix, Tim Burton, and Disney. The only rights to which I have are the creative contexts, writing, and original plots created in this fiction._

_**Genre:** Romance, Friendship, General_

_**Rating:** Mature, for Romance and Lemons_

**Two**

The gummi ship rose into the stars without any difficulty. Since Sora left Christmas Town, the sprig of mistletoe was always in his breast pocket, rubbing up against his chest. Once Sora had pulled from the gravitational orbit of the Holidays' World, he switched the ship to auto pilot and leaned back in the chair. He stared blankly into the expanse of black, peppered with tiny stars and shining worlds. His hand automatically rested atop the pocket with the mistletoe. Sora couldn't wait to see Kairi. Since Santa had touched him, something had awakened within him. The longing he had for Kairi was so strong, powerful; it was as though he hadn't seen her in years. He had the high of falling in love again.

It made the next seven days that much more difficult to go through. Since he had found the Door to the Light three years ago with Riku, his job as Keyblade Master had become one of universal peacekeeping. He became the right hand of the King, along with Donald and Goofy, of course. While he enjoyed these adventures, he always found himself homesick for the sun drenched shores of his home world – but most of all, homesick for his lovely island Princess. Since they had started dating a few years ago, Riku often tried to allow Sora to be at home with Kairi as much as possible. But, there were some things only a Keyblade could do.

The Gummi dashboard whirred and blinked. Swiveling in the chair, Sora got up and loaded the call onto the monitor. Immediately, the large visages of Donald and Goofy were on the screen.

"H'yuck, hi there, Sora!" Goofy said brightly.

"How's Jack? And Santa? Did you find out you-know-what for me?" Donald quacked. Sora grinned broadly at his close friends and companions.

"Sorry, Donald, I didn't get to ask if you were on the nice list." At this news, the wizard duck sighed. Goofy pushed aside the disappointed Donald to speak directly to Sora.

"Sora, are ya gunna come back to tha castle soon? The King has one last assignment for us."

Donald wasn't pleased at being left out of the conversation. "Move over, ya Big Palooka!" He shouted, shoving Goofy off screen.

"I was planning on heading straight over to Atlantica. Why does the King need me to stop by the castle?"

"He said he wants us to come along, too. You know how touchy King Trident is with Keyblade Masters." Donald said. At this, Sora couldn't disagree. Any discussion with that man usually went as smoothly as trying to persuade a brick wall to move.

"Alright, guys, I'm warping there now." Sora said. He shut off the communication before fastening his seatbelt and preparing the Gummi for a warp. Once set, he leaned back and prepared for the jolt. As the Gummi burst into warp speed, Sora's stomach flipped and danced. He placed his hand over the mistletoe, not letting go until the Gummi ship slowed and rested in the gravitational field of Disney Castle.

_Just one more assignment, and then we get to be with each other for Christmas, Namine._ Sora thought. As he was preparing to transport to the surface, he caught himself. Namine? Why had he thought of Namine? Oh, well. Namine was a part of Kairi, so it wasn't as if he was thinking of another woman. With that, Sora teleported to Disney Castle's throne room.

* * *

The one thing Kairi always hated about Destiny Islands was the lack of snow. Snow was like that magical icing that made December so much more mystical. But in the tropics, any precipitation came in thick, fat raindrops. The closest they ever got to snow was a weak layer of frosted dew on the grass that was quickly melted by the sunrise. She had finished decorating the old, leased house she, Sora, Riku, and Selphie lived in. It was quaint, just big enough for four people, and now filled with Christmas spirit.

"When 's Sora getting back, Kairi?" Selphie asked, arm covered in garland as she put the finishing touches on the stairway railing.

"He should be getting back tomorrow; Riku told me that Sora would be done with his duties by the twentieth." Kairi said, unable to keep the impatience from her voice. She was excited to spend Christmas with her love, especially since his duties had kept him from spending Thanksgiving in Destiny Islands. Selphie wound the last bit of Garland onto the rail before hopping down the stairs and crash-hugging Kairi.

"You are just sooooo cute!" Selphie exclaimed before releasing her friend from the assault-hug. Kairi gasped, feeling her ribs relax and groan after being squeezed to death.

"Very funny. What about you and Tidus? Aren't you the cute couple?"

"We'd be cute if Tidus didn't play blitzball with Wakka all the goddamn time. I'm lucky that Blitz doesn't have a vagina, cause if it did, Tidus would marry it." Selphie groaned. Kairi couldn't help but laugh. Selphie was at first serious, but soon giggled as well.

"You're gonna be cooking the dinner, right?" Kairi asked.

"Well, duh; I'm not letting you anywhere near the kitchen." Selphie chuckled. The two girls then grabbed the lights and outdoor decorations as they prepared to finish up outside. Riku already had the ladder set up as he put a coat of fake snow on the roof.

"You girls done gossiping and wanna help me?" He shouted.

"Not if you're gonna keep that attitude up, mister." Kairi sassed. She and Selphie unraveled the multicolored lights. Kairi stood on the bottom of the ladder, helping to feed the lighting to Riku as he nailed it into place.

"So how many people are coming to the party?" Riku asked casually.

"Well," Kairi began, "we are definitely having: Wakka, Lulu, Selphie, Tidus, you, me, Sora, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Scrooge McDuck, Jiminy Crickett, and Donald's nephews. I haven't heard back from anyone at Radiant Garden."

"I think they told me they're having their own Christmas and Chanukah party." Riku said.

"And you were planning on telling us, when?" Selphie asked, annoyed.

"I forgot, so sue me."

"Riku, I'm the one cooking. I have to know how many I'm cooking for!"

"At least Scrooge is giving us the Christmas turkey." Riku offered politely. Selphie and Kairi groaned at his social ineptitude. Once the lights were strung, they took down the ladder and started to place the reindeer randomly in the green lawn. Riku seemed to be holding something in. Kairi continuously glanced at him, trying to read his aquamarine eyes and his nondescript lips.

"Riku, is there something else you need to tell us?" Kairi asked. Riku seemed surprised by the sudden question.

"Well," he began, but he trailed off and didn't continue. Kairi didn't press further. By the time the sun sat on the water, painting the heavens and sea in crimsons and golds, all the decorations were up (except for the ornaments on the tree). Exhausted and hungry, the three decided to lock up and go out for sushi. Night had fallen quickly, leaving them to navigate the familiar streets by lamp light.

Their dinner was cheap, good, and casual. Most of the dinner conversation was idled away by excited holiday chatter and Selphie's humorous rants about Tidus. Occasionally, Riku would pipe in with an anecdote or two, but for the most part, he was quieter than usual. Most of the time conversations were littered with his quips and comebacks, but his mind seemed preoccupied. It wasn't until Selphie left the small sushi bar to go to the movies with Tidus that Kairi pressed Riku further.

"Riku, what's up?" She asked. This time, he didn't get sidetracked or play dumb.

"I was wondering...could...could I invite someone to the Christmas dinner?" He asked. Kairi nearly fell out of her seat laughing. The reaction to his request didn't seem promising. Riku just lowered his gaze, letting shadows become familiar comforts to him.

"Is that all it was about?" Kairi laughed, composing herself. "Of course you can!"

Riku gave a smile smile at the pleasant response.

"So whose the lucky guy?" Kairi asked softly.

"He's a pilot I met a few months ago when my gummi ship broke down." Riku said, eyes waltzing with excitement. As they walked back to their house, Kairi pressed Riku for more on this mysterious man.

"How old is he?"

"Seventeen."

"Rockin' the cradle, huh?" She winked.

"He's in the Interstellar Academy right now."

"Ooo, a college kid. What's his name?"

"Jim."

"Jim and Riku...Jimku? Rikim?"

"Please don't make our names into some sort of fanfiction shipping." Riku plead. Kairi laughed and stopped prying once they got back to the house. For a moment, Kairi paused and soaked in the scene. The house looked like it had been plunged into a winter wonderland. Reigndeer were grazing in the front yard, lights shone on the snow-covered rooftop, and the evergreen tree sat proudly in the front bay window. The wreath on the door was wrapped in velvet and pine cones, inviting all to come inside. Her heart was heavy for a moment, even looking at all the joy. Riku laid a hand on her shoulder, massaging with his strong fingers.

"He'll be here tomorrow. The King told me he would."

"I know. It's just...I don't know what's come over me, but suddenly I feel like I haven't seen him for years..." Kairi suddenly began to sob. Riku was just as startled as Kairi. She curiously wiped tears from her eyes.

"W-why am I c-crying?" She sobbed. She sniffled and coughed, sucking it up and trying to get rid of the weight on her chest. She went into the kitchen to heat up the water for hot chocolate, trying to calm herself and figure out why she was crying. _Why am I crying like a little girl? Roxas will be here tomorrow._ She thought. As she went about the motions, she realized she hadn't thought of Sora. No; she thought of Roxas. But why? The kettle whistled, breaking her thoughts. She poured the water into the two mugs for herself and Riku. Kairi assumed she was just tired from decorating. With hot chocolates in hand, she went into the living room to watch Christmas specials with Riku and drown out the strange impatience and heaviness that had settled upon her.


End file.
